Conservative poll: Mike Lee not vulnerable in primary

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has a solid approval rating among Utah Republicans and isn’t vulnerable to a primary challenge, according to a new poll conducted for a national group that supports the senator.

{mosads}Lee has a 76 percent approval rating among likely Republican primary voters in the state, with11 percent disapproving, according to a poll conducted by GOP firm Basswood Research for the fiscally conservative Club for Growth.

The numbers indicate Lee has recovered with Utah Republicans since he helped lead the fight that led to the 2012 government shutdown, which polling at the time indicated had hurt him even with members of his own party.

The numbers could also be a little more favorable to Lee because the narrowly defined “likely voter” sample may include more party activists and exclude other more centrist Republicans.

There has been little recent buzz about a primary challenge to Lee, though some Democrats hold out hope that centrist former Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) might run against him in the general election.